your ultimate guide to celebrating national vodka day.

We knew we had to celebrate it, but listing our favorite brands seemed a bit underwhelming. So instead, we set our sights on flavored vodka, the loud, brash, crazy younger sister of regular vodka that has developed a bit of a bad rap. We kind of get it--a lot of them have really cloying flavors that end up tasting way too sweet, way too artificial, or both. But here's the thing: A good flavored vodka not only tastes amazing, but it makes it even easier to mix up cocktails that seem a million times fancier than your usual go-to screwdriver. Like, whip-up-a-crazy-good-drink-in-10-seconds easy.

So we took on the hard task of taste-testing a bunch of different flavored vodkas. There were two rules: One, we could only use a single mixer with each, and two, every NYLON staffer had to try every single combo. With each sip we got a bit more honest (no surprise, considering that the bottles we had to test out numbered in the double digits), and the result is the best guide to flavored vodkas--and the drinks to make with them--you'll ever find.

Click through the gallery to see our favorites (and get our NYLON-approved recipes). And if you decide to try them all out tonight? No judgement, promise.

Gallery

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THE DRINK: Pinnacle Caramel Apple Vodka
THE MIXER: Cranberry Juice
THE REACTION: "It tastes like a Jolly Rancher--sweet at first, but then a little sour" -- Steff Yotka

THE DRINK: Effen Black Cherry VodkaTHE MIXER: Coca-ColaTHE REACTION: "It reminds me of when I was younger and would have a lollipop and then drink a cup of Coke" --Jackie Yaeger

THE DRINK: Pinnacle Peppermint Bark VodkaTHE MIXER: Fresh-brewed coffeeTHE REACTION: "It's so good! It tastes like a peppermint mocha. You could drink this as a brunch cocktail or at night." --Liza Darwin

THE DRINK: Pucker Watermelon Wow VodkaTHE MIXER: Lime and strawberry-flavored Polar seltzerTHE REACTION: "I love watermelon anything, but this one is very flavorful and not too sweet." --Estefanie Duque

THE DRINK: Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie Vodka
THE MIXER: Real ginger aleTHE REACTION: "I don't actually like pumpkin things, but this drink tastes a bit like a chai latte, which I love" --Steff Yotka